If you aren’t growing, you are dying, but the hardest part about growing is maintaining quality. As you hire more folks, expand to new locations, industries, etc. it becomes increasingly challenging to maintain the high quality you provided to your clients when you first started. It’s an incredibly difficult problem and so we reached out to some phenomenal entrepreneurs and asked them to share their stories, experiences and insights on the topic with us below.

Jennifer Savage

As a sole proprietor of a service based business, my entire business rested on my shoulders, which is great for a control freak, like me, but makes finding work/life balance a little challenging. My business has grown incredibly over the last 5 years, at one time tripling the bookings I had from one year to the next! This growth has been exciting, but it also left me stretched pretty thin. I faced 2 options-scaling back and working less or sharing the load and continuing to grow. Read more>>

Trandon Welch

In my line of work, quality is vital for growth and longevity. Digital creation and creative marketing is a very competitive field and it’s always changing. Some people in this space quickly realizes how easy it is to find a client and they usually allow that knowledge stunt their growth. Because there’s no “certification” needed to enter into this field or any kind of credentials that have to be obtained, anyone with a camera and a computer can start working. Read more>>

Kelly Conner

MeritMade has been blessed with steady growth since its founding. We’ve been lucky enough this year to see a massive uptick in custom orders which I am thrilled about. But being the business owner and designer and creator can be hard to juggle. I’ve also expanded my business, building out a new brand- Alloy: A Metalsmithing Community, where fellow metalsmiths of varying experience can join a community and hone their skills. Read more>>

Beth Compton

Being detail oriented is essential in stationery. I have high standards for every invitation suite that is mailed to my couples and their guests. Each piece is a reflection of not only my artistic style but work ethic and care. Every print, fold, cut, etc. is carefully made, and I expect the same level of care from the vendors I partner with that I expect of myself. The mark of good craftsmanship and customer service is what makes luxury stationery a step (or more) above common online retailers. Read more>>

Naomie Blush

Since being in business for 7 years now, I am very aware that customer service plays a very integral part of my business. I have made it a point to find new ways to make each and every experience with my clientele satisfactory. It does come with high reward as a business owner, but I value most how my clients feel when they are with me, or have purchased a product. Read more>>

Rebecca Brizi

Quality is about standards set and maintained. On the other hand: growth automatically means change. How can you reconcile set standards with constant (positive) change? It’s about knowing what, in your business, is written in pencil and what is written in pen. There are business fundamentals, such as the business mission, the value it brings, and its guiding principles, that are all written in pen. These don’t change. Read more>>